Aftermath

First and most importantly, let me send out my condolences to everyone involved in the VT shooting. I think I speak for the entire VT alumni community when I say that our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and current student body affected by this random act of senseless violence. It felt like 9/11 to me. The same sickening sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The same confusion and disbelief, mixed with rage, and rimmed with sorrow. The same questions. Why these people? Why my school? Why my city? Why my country? Why now? Why?

I never in my wildest dreams imagined something like this ever happening. Not at VT. Walking across the drill field four years ago in April, my personal safety was the last thing on my mind. I was doing calculations in my head, figuring out what kind of grades I needed on my finals to pass my classes. I wanted take my place on the big stage and graduate a mechanical engineer. That was my one pressing need, my only worry, and my chief concern. Nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, surrounded by a small close-knit town, it seemed like the most unlikely setting. It's not that kind of place. I felt safer at VT than anywhere else I've lived in my life. My opinion hasn't changed.

People always want someone or something to blame. But in a case like this, it seems all the blame is placed on the administration or the people in charge for not being able to predict and/or prevent the inevitable. Frankly, it's total bullshit. There's only one place to put the blame and that's on the dead asshole who took two handguns into a dorm and an academic building and let 'em fly. I'm sorry this cowardly bitch took his own life. I would have loved to get some jabs in on him, make the rest of his meaningless life a living hell until he died and the real hell started. Unfortunately, now the devil gets to have all the fun. He's better at it then I'd ever be anyway. Am I saying this guy's in hell.? Yup, that's exactly what I'm saying and I'm pretty happy about it.

To criticize the university administration and local police department in this situation is ridiculous. Unless they have a clairvoyant on the payroll, there's no way they could have foreseen what transpired. Yes, two people were shot in a dorm, but by the time the police gathered all the information and came to a conclusion, students were in or on their way to classes. Not to mention, you then have meetings and briefings to disseminate the information to everyone who needs it and, finally, use that information to decide on a course of action. All that takes time. Despite living in the internet generation, I'm not so naive as to think that everything happens in the nanoseconds it takes for a electron to pass though a semiconductor. These are people, with opinions, different knowledge bases and thought processes. Could it have taken two hours for all the information and discussions to end in a consensus? Sure. It could have taken longer and probably would have. In a court of law, it can take two days or more to come to a decision and in the government in takes months if not years. This wasn't a military state trained to make snap decisions on the field of combat. In fact, most people involved didn't even recognize they were in the middle of a war zone. How could they? If someone gets murdered in a row home on the north side of Baltimore, the local police don't lock down all the 7-11's in the surrounding area just in case the killer the decides to come back and go on a killing spree. If they did, people would complain about misuse of tax dollars and police personnel. The point is, you can't plan for things that are inconceivable and, for the most part, unstoppable. The leaders made the only logical decision from the information they had at hand. Unfortunately, logic and sense played no part in what happened.

So, after taking time to reflect and mourn, what steps do we take to make sure this type of thing never happens again? Nothing. I say we do nothing because the alternative is unacceptable. Reverting to a military campus with gates, checkpoints, armed security, bomb sniffing dogs and metal detectors isn't a road I want to go down. Restricting people's civil liberties is worst thing we could possibly do here. I don't want this one psycho to have any effect on the way I live. Why should I give him that kind of vindication or validation. He shouldn't be able to change anything. Why give this fuckbag that kind of power? He doesn't deserve it. I'm not saying we should live our lives like nothing happened. I think the first thing we should do is honor the people that lost there lives and make sure their memory never fades. The most important thing's to remember the people affect by this tragedy. Maybe tweak a policy or two but don't impinge on people's rights. If someone gets it in their head that they're going to do something like this and they have the resources and plan to act it out, there's nothing you can do at the point of attack. You take a chance every day when you step out your door that it might be the last time you do so. Hell, you still take that chance even if you don't walk out the door. No where is safe and life can be as fleeting as smoke in a stiff breeze. The reality of our own mortality is something we deal with every day. Sometimes it just takes an extraordinarily bad event to fish the issue from the depths of the subconscious. We'll never be safe no matter how many policies or laws or police or power we have. The sooner we learn to deal with that, the sooner we'll be able to live without fear, no matter what the world throws at us.

No one does this shit all alone. There are always warning signs. Someone always knows. Columbine had a two man team. They were confidants. Every killer has someone they confide in. People can't help but brag, whether it's about a good or a bad thing. We have to talk. It's in our nature. And it's the responsibility of the person listening to do something about it if what they hear is fucked up. From racism to homicide, people have to start standing up to their friends and family when those people do or say something that just isn't right. Unfortunately, half the time the person listening is just as psycho as the asshat running his mouth. They might even be in on it. The other half of time, the listener says that he or she thought the person was just kidding and never would have acted on what they said. There are things you joke about and things you don't. Even if you're joking about things maybe you shouldn't, it doesn't take a genius to figure out whether someone is kidding around or not. And if you're not sure because the person is an Oscar winning actor or extremely ambiguous, you hound them until you are sure of their intentions. That's everyone's responsibility.


(Update: The guy bought the guns legally, so the following no longer applies. I do think the sentiment still rings true.)
Speaking of responsibility, or the lack there of, they should track down the douche that sold this guy the guns and string him up from the empty sack where his ball used to be. I'm not going to take guns out of responsible people's hands with extensive and repressive laws and legislature. The reason for the constitutional right to bear arm is no longer valid but that doesn't mean that people shouldn't have the right. We should, however, go after the people that are selling guns illegally. They directly contribute to murders, robberies and various other crimes on a daily basis. And as contributors, I think they should be charged with the crimes their guns committed. Maybe that'll make a few people think twice before handing that 9mm to an overeager sixteen year old kid for two hundred bucks.

Lastly, fuck you 24 hour news. It's funny because I was just talking about how you will be the downfall of modern society and there you go, providing a perfect argument to back my claim. I guess in some sick way I should be thanking you. I never will. You all are the most moronic, unethical, word-twisting assholes this side of the sun. You purposely try to lead people into saying things that they don't mean or that aren't true just so you can turn on them to fill fifteen more minutes of air time. Integrity is a word you've never heard or at least don't know the meaning of. You want everyone else to be perfect, accurate, all-seeing sources of information when you yourself are the greatest source of misinformation in the world. You hypocritical jackasses jump all over anyone that makes a wrong conclusion even though you jump to incorrect conclusions all the time, all the while spouting them as fact. You misreport facts, don't check sources and probably can't believe half the shit that comes out of your own mouths. You'd put a homeless guy from Siberia on if you thought he would back your story about teen drug use. You have the credibility of someone who rapes donkeys for a living. You worthless scumbags will say anything to garner attention and do anything to keep it. So go fuck yourself 24 hour news. I've got the internet and don't need you. You're worthless and you know it. By the way Katie, it's Steger. S-T-E-G-E-R and you have to pronounce all the letters including the "T". Bob Seger is not the president of Virginia Tech you stupid bitch.

I wish I could do everyone involved better justice but this is all I have. Please know that my thoughts are with you.